Chapter 274: The Drinking Game

After a moment, someone came up from downstairs. The moment he saw Pang Yu, he dropped to his knees with a thud. "Your humble servant Liu Shensi of Hezhou, here to thank the General for his immense grace and virtue."

Pang Yu studied the man on the floor carefully. He vaguely recalled it was that Licentiate Liu from Hezhou. When they had met at Dangtu, it had been at night, so he hadn't seen him too clearly, but the voice was familiar.

Now, Licentiate Liu was kowtowing with such earnest force that even the floorboards trembled slightly.

Fang Yizhi had not expected Licentiate Liu to act this way and stood there stunned. Beside him, Huang Zongxi gave a soft snort. Even more, Pang Yu had not expected Licentiate Liu to perform the grand kneeling salute the moment he arrived. He knew that Liu Ruogu had not given the five hundred taels in one lump sum, but rather one hundred taels per year, so this Licentiate Liu still had to watch the Anqing Garrison Battalion's mood for the time being. Such behavior was within reason. But this was not Dangtu; everyone around them was from the Restoration Society, and as men who held official examination degrees, deep down they still somewhat looked down on military officers.

The atmosphere in the room was a bit strange. Accepting such a grand salute so openly was probably inappropriate, so he rose, preparing to help Licentiate Liu up.

Just then, a door across the way creaked open. Pang Yu raised his eyes to look and saw a young woman emerge from behind the screen opposite. Her face bore a light touch of powder and rouge, like flecks of peach blossom on lustrous jade. Her temple hair was piled like clouds, and her long skirt train trailed along the floor. She moved with delicate lotus steps to Licentiate Liu's side, and after drawing everyone's gaze, she slowly curtsied. "So it is the Anqing Garrison Commander, General Pang, whose might shakes the Roving Thieves. Gu Mei was late in dressing and applying her makeup. I offer my respects."

With that, she performed a wanfu salute. Pang Yu hurriedly returned the courtesy, but before he could speak, Gu Mei continued, "The Yingtian Grand Coordinator, Lord Zhang, prepared for rain before the storm and anticipated the enemy's moves, dispatching the Anqing Garrison Battalion a thousand li to the rescue of Jiangnan. We, the common people of Jiangnan, are all grateful as well."

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement. She had invoked Zhang Guowei, so naturally, Pang Yu dared not disagree.

Gu Mei's gaze, like flowing waves, met everyone's eyes in turn, then shifted to Licentiate Liu, who was on the floor looking up at her. "Young Master Liu is a talented scholar of the Restoration Society. To have survived such calamity this time surely means future blessings await. This servant girl hereby wishes Young Master Liu a future rise to prominence, certain to revive the ancient learning, and like Lord Zhang, to devise strategies within the command tent and become a pillar of the court."

Huang Zongxi called out "Excellent!" Gu Mei had elevated both the Restoration Society and Young Master Liu very high. Pang Yu, on the other hand, was frozen in place, finding it awkward to go help Young Master Liu up. Even Young Master Liu himself did not know what to do.

Gu Mei gently extended a hand and guided him. Young Master Liu rose in a daze, following her lead. Only after she had escorted him to his seat did she gracefully take her own seat to Pang Yu's right.

From the moment Gu Mei had entered until now, not a single person had interrupted. She had controlled the entire scene. Even Pang Yu did not know what to say, but she had indeed resolved the slight awkwardness from before. Pang Yu felt it was handled very appropriately.

Fang Yizhi clapped his hands and said, "Allow me to make an introduction for General Pang. This is the Fairy of the Swaying Waves. Not only is she skilled in music, but she is also a master of both poetry and painting, especially orchids, in which she is second to none. All the paintings the General saw in the building earlier were personally painted by Hengbo."

Pang Yu quickly echoed the praise. Half of the paintings he had seen earlier were of orchids, and they were indeed quite well done. But Pang Yu himself did not understand painting. Whether it was traditional Chinese painting, gongbi, or oil painting, he could only judge the surface. If pressed to say exactly where they were good, he could not.

Gu Mei pursed her lips in a slight smile and shot Fang Yizhi a reproachful glance. "With all the talented scholars of the Restoration Society seated here, Young Master Fang's excessive praise will only embarrass me to death. As for those orchid paintings, there are many girls on the Qinhuai River better than this servant. I wonder if Young Master Fang speaks the same way in the various houses of the Old Court."

Sun Lin and Jiang Chen both raised a clamor at once, testifying that Fang Yizhi said the same thing everywhere he went. Huang Zongxi merely smiled and stroked his beard. The table suddenly became lively.

Fang Yizhi laughed. "Fairy Hengbo, do not listen to their nonsense. Every word I speak is from the heart. Last time I was privileged to hear your music, its lingering melody still winds around the rafters, unforgettable even now."

Jiang Chen laughed heartily. "No wonder Mizhi has been so distracted lately. So it turns out he's become a lovesick fool."

Everyone voiced their agreement. Fang Yizhi did not refute it, laughing twice heartily. "It happens that General Pang has just returned in glory from bloody battle. I did not hesitate to seize Young Master Gu's banquet date, just so the General could feast his ears."

Gu Hengbo cast a glance toward Pang Yu. Pang Yu felt that Gu Mei's eyes were very lively, as if a luminous sheen flowed within water, though not particularly soul-stirring. He smiled and nodded.

After studying Pang Yu for a moment, Gu Mei said, "Young Master Fang has given his instructions, and this servant naturally shall comply. However, the wine feast has just begun; how can we lack wine to enliven the mood? Better to play a few rounds of drinking games first, to build some liveliness."

Fang Yizhi was clearly very adept at this kind of drinking game, his face full of excitement. "Then let it be like last time: one tune title, two domino tile names, plus one line from The West Wing."

Gu Mei tilted her head to look at Pang Yu. "Although General Pang is a outstanding talent Imperial Academy Student turned soldier, he is, after all, more skilled in military matters. Perhaps we should play a more common drinking game. I wonder what the General thinks."

Jiang Chen immediately voiced loud approval. Pang Yu felt something was off. On the surface, Gu Mei's words seemed to accommodate him, but between the lines, it sounded like she was mocking his lack of culture. What was infuriating was that he truly dared not boast and accept the previous drinking game. One tune title and two domino tiles — he seemed to have seen this game somewhere before, but he indeed could not play it. If he rashly agreed and then failed to answer, it would be even more humiliating.

So he had no choice but to say, "Then let us follow Miss Gu's suggestion."

Fang Yizhi clapped his hands. "Then let Fairy Hengbo set the game."

Gu Mei's brow arched slightly. "Then let us play a common game. Take one character and split it into two identical characters, then speak three common phrases. They must rhyme together. If one cannot answer, they drink three large cups. Young Master Fang is the host, so shall we start the game with him?"

"Very well." Fang Yizhi paused only briefly before he had it ready. He lightly tapped the table. "One character 'Lin' (forest) is two pieces of 'Mu' (wood). One color, two kinds: oar and sweep. Which piece of wood makes the oar, which piece of wood makes the sweep."

The others at the table all cheered. Gu Mei then looked at Pang Yu. "General Pang is the guest of honor. The first round follows the order. Please take the second turn."

Since arriving in this Ming Dynasty, most of Pang Yu's drinking had been with peddlers and laborers. People like Ruan Dacheng liked to sing opera and rarely played drinking games. This was his first time playing this kind of literati drinking game, and before he had even figured out the rules, it was already his turn.

He thought back to Fang Yizhi's game. It required characters with the same radical, split apart, then three phrases, logically sound, and finally rhyming. For a moment, he could not think of anything similar.

Just as he was about to think carefully, Gu Mei beside him said, "If the General cannot answer, he need not drink either. After all, the General is a military man. To be unfamiliar with such word games is only normal."

Pang Yu felt the flavor was increasingly off. Every sentence from Gu Mei sounded pleasant on the surface, but the underlying meaning was something else entirely. Today he was the guest of honor; why did this Gu Mei show him no consideration at all?

But he truly could not think of one at the moment. Admitting defeat was better than making excuses, so he could only wave his hand. "I cannot match it. I accept the three cups of wine. It should be Fairy Hengbo's turn now."

Gu Mei pursed her lips in a smile and parted her sandalwood lips lightly. "One character 'Cong' (from) is two 'Ren' (people). One kind, two sorts: foolish and stupid. I wonder which person is foolish, which person is stupid."

The people at the table all tittered. Even Fang Yizhi over there was laughing, but Pang Yu was now formally certain: this woman was targeting him. Gu Mei's game had a hint of mockery. Foolish and stupid certainly had some difference, because earlier Jiang Chen had called Fang Yizhi a lovesick fool. Of the two people who had set games before, Fang Yizhi naturally took the "foolish," and since he himself had failed to answer, he clearly took the "stupid."

Pang Yu wore a polite smile on his face. Though he was not truly angered in his heart, he was somewhat puzzled. From the moment this Gu Mei arrived, everything she said, between the lines, was squeezing him. He did not know when he had offended this woman.

Next in order was Huang Zongxi. He said, "One character 'Lü' is two 'Mouth' (mouths). One color, two kinds: water and wine. I wonder which mouth drinks water, which mouth drinks wine."

As Pang Yu listened to the others take their turns, he thought for a while in his mind. By now, he could come up with a few games himself. Even if not perfectly neat, he could manage. It was just that Gu Mei had rushed him earlier, so he hadn't had time to think of one.

The other few people each gave their drinking games. After one full round, only Pang Yu had failed to answer. Pang Yu had no choice but to admit defeat and pour himself a large cup. But Gu Mei beside him took the wine pot and filled the cup to the brim. Her pouring skill was excellent; the wine surface was slightly higher than the cup's rim, yet did not spill over. Sun Lin and the others cheered loudly, fearing the world was not chaotic enough.

The most enthusiastic among them was Jiang Chen. Everyone at the table could hear Gu Mei's mockery of Pang Yu. Licentiate Liu kept his head down and said nothing. Wu Yingji looked somewhat displeased. The others pretended not to notice. Only Jiang Chen wore a face full of schadenfreude.

Ming Dynasty wine was not strong, but what they were drinking today was not rice wine. Pang Yu tasted it and estimated it was around ten percent alcohol. Three large cups would hit harder than beer. From the look of Gu Mei, she wanted him to drink too much and make a fool of himself. But Pang Yu's alcohol tolerance was not something Gu Mei could imagine.

It was still winter, after all. After finishing the three cups, Pang Yu's stomach felt thoroughly chilled. In his heart, there was a bit of anger, but more than that, bewilderment. After all, today was the first time he had ever met Gu Mei.

Taking advantage of this brief moment, Pang Yu thought of two couplets. Though not enough to counterattack Gu Mei, he at least had some confidence in his heart.

He was just waiting for Fang Yizhi to start again when he heard Gu Mei say, "One round, one drinking game is what makes it lively. This time, how about we switch to a 'guess the number' game from The Romance of the West Chamber?"

Pang Yu could not help but freeze. Over there, Fang Yizhi glanced at Pang Yu and hesitated for a moment, but then still clapped his hands. "A drinking game naturally needs a bit of 'number' to be interesting. If you call it right, you drink it yourself."

Gu Hengbo gently shook her head. "If you call it right and drink yourself, everyone will call small numbers. How about if you call it right, the next player drinks?"

Sun Lin on the right slammed the table. "Excellent! Sun here loves it that way. Everyone call big numbers."

Li Pinger behind them brought over a die and a porcelain bowl. Just as she was about to hand them to Fang Yizhi, Gu Mei beckoned and took them herself. She said to Fang Yizhi, "Young Master Fang set the first round. For the second round, let this servant start the game, alright? It will rotate just right so General Pang takes the second turn."

Gu Mei paused here and added, "If one cannot call the game, the penalty is six more cups."

Pang Yu had a bit of a headache. Gu Mei was still targeting him. The couplets he had just prepared were wasted effort again. But his mind was searching rapidly. He seemed to have seen this kind of game in The Plum in the Golden Vase. He concentrated intently on recalling it, not even hearing what Gu Mei was saying.

Gu Mei's beautiful eyes focused on Pang Yu for a moment. She spoke softly, "Scholar Zhang arrives at Puji Temple. How many characters on the plaque? Five small characters, six large characters."

With that, her right hand loosened. Amid a series of clinks, the die tumbled into the porcelain bowl and bounced. When it stopped, it was indeed a five. The room erupted in laughter. Pang Yu was dumbfounded. This meant five bowls. What was hateful was that he had no way to retaliate, because even if he called the number correctly, he could only penalize the next player, Fang Yizhi.

On his face, he could only put on an expression of calm acceptance and magnanimously drink those five large cups. His stomach was suddenly full of wine, just short of letting out a wine belch. After suppressing the urge to belch, he remembered he still had to set the game.

The next player was Fang Yizhi. There was no point in Pang Yu messing with him, but he had to call the game, or else he would have to drink six more cups. So he took the die and porcelain bowl. Just as he was about to throw, he felt a gaze on him. He turned his head and saw it was Li Pinger, her eyes filled with a fair amount of concern.

Pang Yu had already recalled a line. Full of confidence, he smiled slightly at Li Pinger, then turned back to look at Gu Mei. "Many thanks to Red for helping him onto the bed. What time was it? First watch, second mark."

He casually tossed the die. It came up a three. Pang Yu had practiced with dice when he opened Bai Shun Tang; it was a common tool he used to pass the time when bored. There was nothing strange inside this die, but its weight was somewhat different from normal. Gu Mei was likely very familiar with it, so her chance of hitting the number was certainly very high. Pang Yu had considerable experience and could roughly control the number. He did not want to make Fang Yizhi drink, so this time he deliberately missed.

Fang Yizhi breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was taking the die, Gu Mei beside him laughed lightly. "General Pang recited Ying Bojue's couplet almost exactly. It seems he usually does read books."

Pang Yu's line was Ying Bojue's drinking game from The Plum in the Golden Vase. Gu Mei was mocking him for plagiarizing. But Pang Yu, not angered, clasped his hands toward her. "So Fairy Hengbo is also a kindred spirit."

This was implying that Gu Mei also loved reading The Plum in the Golden Vase. A faint blush rose on Gu Mei's face. Sun Lin burst out with a "pfft" of laughter. Even Jiang Chen could not hold it in.

Fang Yizhi suppressed a laugh and called a drinking game himself. After one round, everyone could keep up with this common game. Sun Lin and Huang Zongxi each had their numbers called and drank two or three cups.

But the one who drank the most at the table was still Pang Yu. He had already downed eight cups. Because he hadn't had time to eat anything, the alcohol was surging up a bit. Taking advantage of the game's pause, he ate two pieces of meat. Annoyingly, everything at Mei Lou was exquisite — even the meat came in tiny pieces.

When it came to the next round, Gu Mei held the dice and was about to announce a new drinking rule when Liu Licentiate, seated below her, suddenly spoke up. "That we can enjoy ourselves with drinking games on the Qinhuai today is all because General Pang fought a bloody battle and drove off the bandits. Only then could Jiangnan see clear rivers and calm seas. Why not ask General Pang to set a game, taking the northern campaign against the bandits as the theme? Not only would it be lively, it would also suit the purpose of today's banquet honoring General Pang."

Before Fang Yizhi could speak, Wu Yingji and He Houming both loudly voiced their approval. Sun Lin immediately chimed in as well. Pang Yu seized this opportunity and cast an appreciative glance at Liu Shensi. Faced with this unprovoked hostility time and again, the anger in Pang Yu's heart had gradually built up. He answered at once and reached out to take the dice from Gu Mei's hand.

The atmosphere at the table being what it was, Gu Mei had no choice but to hand them to Pang Yu. Now it was Pang Yu's turn to set the game; the format was entirely up to him. By the order of play, the turn should reverse, which meant Gu Mei was now the next player.

Pang Yu placed the porcelain bowl behind him and merely tossed the dice lightly. He did not intend to use the porcelain bowl, as he was more practiced throwing dice on the tabletop. The angle of this porcelain bowl was somewhat different from what he was used to; throwing on the tabletop would be easier to control.

He turned to Li Ping'er and said, "A single die like this lacks a bit of fun. I drank too little just now and didn't get to savor the taste. If we're drinking, let's drink to our hearts' content. Miss Li, please give me another die — let's add a bit more excitement."

Li Ping'er hesitated, but Sun Lin and Wu Yingji both egged her on, so she had no choice but to fetch one and hand it to Pang Yu.

"Still the same rule: match the total and the next player drinks. We'll follow the order from just now. Please, fairy maiden, receive the second command." Pang Yu first clarified the rules to prevent Gu Mei from trying to wriggle out of it later. He finished without looking at Gu Mei's expression — it probably wasn't very pleasant. By now, Pang Yu was slightly tipsy. This woman's inexplicable hostility made him angrier the more he thought about it. He weighed the two dice in his hand, got a feel for them, then spoke. "One ying, eleven companies, and twelve banners. Six days, a thousand li. Seven battles, eight bandits. Ten grasped, nine steady."

Silence fell over the table. Everyone could see that Gu Mei had been targeting Pang Yu, and now Pang Yu was clearly retaliating. The smallest number was one, but with two dice, one was impossible. All the other large numbers had been called. As long as he hit any one of them, it would be enough to make Gu Mei drink.

Now it all depended on how many Pang Yu could hit. Everyone focused intently. He Houming and others seated farther away stood up. Pang Yu took a deep breath. The two dice fell to the tabletop at the same time, bouncing with a clatter.